INDIANAPOLIS—The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff has reinstated the eligibility of Iowa State University basketball student-athlete Lucca Staiger.

Staiger, a freshman at Iowa State, will be required to sit out the 2007-08 season of competition while being charged a season of eligibility, as a condition of his reinstatement for playing 82 games on a professional team in Germany prior to enrollment at the university. Staiger will have three seasons of remaining eligibility.

“While we realize Mr. Staiger may be disappointed in this decision, he still has the opportunity to pursue his dream of obtaining a college education in America, and he can still practice with the team and receive his full scholarship as he fulfills his conditions of reinstatement,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice-president for membership services. “In addition, he will still be able to play for three full seasons following this academic year.”

The NCAA has longstanding amateurism rules established by its member institutions. The student-athlete reinstatement staff considered all factors presented by Iowa State University in its review of this situation. After careful consideration of the student-athlete’s participation on a professional team, the reinstatement staff applied the standard guideline for eligibility, similar to another amateurism certification decision involving this particular international team.

During the reinstatement process, the NCAA reinstatement staff considers a number of factors including guidelines established by the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, any relevant case precedent, the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.

The university can appeal the decision to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, an independent committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences.

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